Southampton General Hospital

Southampton General Hospital
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
The front of Southampton General Hospital, showing from left to right the North Wing, Centre Block, and West Wing
Shown in Southampton
Geography
Location	Southampton, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates	50°55′59″N 1°26′02″W / 50.933°N 1.434°W / 50.933; -1.434Coordinates: 50°55′59″N 1°26′02″W / 50.933°N 1.434°W / 50.933; -1.434
Organisation
Care system	Public NHS
Hospital type	Teaching Hospital, Tertiary Specialist Centre, District General, Major Trauma Centre
Affiliated university	University of Southampton
Services
Emergency department	Yes Accident & Emergency
Beds	1100
History
Founded	1900
Links
Website	www.uhs.nhs.uk
Lists	Hospitals in England

Southampton General Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Southampton, Hampshire, England run by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

The hospital was founded in 1900 as the Southampton Union Infirmary in Shirley Warren, Southampton, to replace hospital beds previously provided at the workhouse infirmary in St Mary's, Southampton. The Royal South Hampshire Hospital was the voluntary hospital, founded in 1838 in the city. The initial 35-acre (14 ha) site cost the Poor Law Guardians £8,200, and the foundation stone was laid on 31 March 1900. The original building, housing 289 beds, cost £64,800 to construct; it has since been demolished.

Southampton Borough Council took responsibility for the hospital in 1929, expanding the number of beds to 431. At this stage, the hospital became known as the Borough Hospital. When the National Health Service came into being in 1948, the hospital took its present name.

The Wessex Neurological Unit opened on the site in 1965, and the East Wing was constructed in 1974, providing 450 additional beds, a new Accident and Emergency Department, and a children's unit. Three years later, the Centre Block was built, which still provides the main entrance to the hospital. The 7-level Centre Block cost over £9 million to construct.

In 1983, the £10 million West Wing was constructed, adding 472 beds to the hospital; this was followed a year later by installation of the Wessex Body Scanner at a cost of £1.5 million.

In 2005, a new cardiac centre was opened, having cost around £53 million to build. In addition to these buildings, the University of Southampton has a number of buildings on the site, which are used both for teaching and research. In particular, the hospital houses renowned centres of excellence in the treatment of cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness, neurological disease, gastro-intestinal conditions and illnesses affecting children. The hospital is fortunate to benefit from a high number of specialist consultants working in large multi-disciplinary teams and plays a leading role in the development of new and improved treatments for NHS patients.